Many public transportation networks have introduced automated fare collection systems. Such methods involve automation of operator ticketing and collection systems with the objective of reducing costs by doing away with manual fare collection. Additional benefits include increasing efficiency in fare collection and associated procedures, and reducing fraud, for example that committed by passengers and public transportation network staff.
Typically, a transit system includes a transit sector. Entry into the transit sector is blocked by turnstiles or other fare collecting systems, or another gatekeeper system. Such a transit system would also include entry areas which are freely accessible to the public without the collection of a fare. The principal components of automated fare collection systems are magnetic stripe or contactless fare card vending machines or booths, typically located in an entry area, where passengers can obtain fare cards or add value to existing cards.
Systems may also include machines for adding value to a card, or booths. Such card value increasing machines or booths may be placed within the transit sector portion of the station, where passengers can add value to fare cards in order for the cards to be given the value needed to exit the station after travel from a particular station in which the passenger began his or her trip.
As alluded to above, present systems also include validators, such as turnstiles, fare-gates or other systems—that debit the fare from the passenger's fare card upon passenger entry into and/or exit from the transit sector. Validators are associated with each entry point at which the transit system may be entered. Systems may operate using a variety of protocols, for example, fixed fare for all rides in the system and requiring only the charging of the fare to the card upon entry into the system, typically when the card is swiped to gain entry into the system. Alternatively, when the card is used in an entry turn style, other protocols involve recording the entry turnstile as a trip starting point, and, upon swiping the card at the exit recording the exit turnstile as the trip exit point and charging the fare assigned for the trip to the card at the trip exit turnstile by reducing its value.
These components are linked by computer systems and administration software so that each transaction is recorded and accounted for. Magnetic stripe cards or contactless smart cards may be used as fare cards and may allow the reloading of value on them or not, for example when a card is issued for unlimited rides during a particular time period.